Barlow under the banner of Fusion Bloodstock – co owned by Tony Joyce - and Barlow’s cousin Max Brown of Brown Bloodstock, are the breeders of the listed Wellesley Stakes winner Sir Nate (Nadeem[AUS]-Just Diamonds). A few hours later his older sister Kalavarci recorded her third winner when she won easily at Randwick. Both Joyce and Brown were in the partnership that raced Dundeel.

In between the two successes Barlow and a couple of good friends Greg Clark and Andy Martin, were busy toasting the run of their promising three-year-old filly Kapoor (Reliable Man[GB]- Supastar) who ran a brave second to Dijion Bleu in the listed Soliloquy Stakes. For good measure Clark also has a share in the Go Racing Gullivers Breeding Partnership that races the third place getter Campari (O’Reilly-Lillet).

Barlow is no stranger to the racing or breeding game having purchased his first racehorse in the early 90’s. That was about the time he started playing polo as well and struck up a friendship with John Bell, the trainer of Kapoor.

Back to thoroughbreds, he struck gold with his second investment a stunning Kreisler (IRE) filly out of the Orange Bay (GB) mare Vedo Bay(GB). Named Vedodara, she went on to win the 2YO Magic Million race at Trentham, followed by the Hawkes Bay Guineas as a three-year-old, and was Group One placed three times.

Vedodara went on to be a fabulous broodmare producing 15 foals for 11 winners including the Group One winner Sharvasti, and the Group Three winners Shastri and Bhandara. Sharvasti and Kumari a winning Zabeel daughter of Vedodara are amongst the broodmares in Barlow’s band, but more about that later as Just Diamonds is the horse of the moment.

Just Diamonds was purchased for Brown and Fusion Bloodstock as a yearling.

“We asked Robbie “The Ace” Hewitson who buys for the O’Sullivan/Scott stable to select us a yearling to go into that stable, and that was Just Diamonds (No Excuse Needed[GB]- Trinket Box[AUS]),” recalled Barlow.

“She was a bit of a handful but managed to win one race before we sent her to stud. Her first foal was by Handsome Ransome(AUS), and then we sent her to Fast’N’Famous(AUS).

“The reason we sent her there was to double up and inbreed into Betty Box (IRE). This is the family of Alynda made famous by Alan and Linda Jones, and he was by Redoute’s Choice(AUS) whom we all liked.”

Just Diamonds is the fourth foal of Trinket Box (AUS) by Mighty Avalanche(AUS) out of Jewel Box(AUS), and is a half-sister to five winners including Analyst a multiple listed winner in Macau. Trinket Box(AUS) was a winner and is a sister to the stakes winning two-year-old Ash Blond. Their dam Jewel Box (AUS) is also the grandam of the stakes winners Penny Gem, Fairygem, Entirely Platinum, and Foxy Blonde.

Jewel Box(AUS) by Nassau(AUS), is a sister to Alynda who won nine races including the Gr.1 Railway Handicap, and is the dam of the stakes winners Alinsky, Capestad, Altrista and Zalinda (by Zabeel) the dam of Fast’N’Famous(AUS).

That mating with Fast’N’Famous(AUS) produced Los Vargos the winner of six races.

“She has just retired, and is confirmed in foal to Tivaci(AUS),” added Barlow, “she was always a handful. We made the decision to retire her after she nearly killed herself being loaded on to a pod. When she was a young horse and I had the farm in the Wairarapa she kicked me and broke three ribs, there is a lot of attitude in all the family.

“Her next foal was by Savabeel and was sold to Australia, and when it came time for her next mating, we wanted to go to a Redoute’s Choice(AUS) horse again and there was really only Sam’s horse Nadeem(AUS) standing at Little Avondale we thought he was on the up and up.”

The resulting foal was Karavali who raced out of Royden Bergerson’s stable as a two-year-old, winning a race and running fourth in the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes, before being sold to clients of Kris Lees in Sydney.

Two years later Sir Nate was born and he was purchased by Lisa Latta from the Select Sale earlier this year for $65,000 and he has now won two races from two starts. He will most likely be put aside now for a tilt at the Karaka Million, a few nights before his yearling half-brother by Savabeel(AUS) goes through the ring.

Unfortunately the Nadeem(AUS) foal Just Diamonds had this year died from a crushed diaphragm when it was a day old, but fortunately the mare is thriving at Trelawney Stud as a foster mother.

“She will visit Burgundy this year, we are using the Redoute’s Choice cross again, and I think he is a stallion with a lot of potential,” enthused Barlow.

Since selling his farm in the Wairarapa and moving north Barlow has distributed his mares between Trelawney Stud and Little Avondale.

“Sam and Brent have both been mates for years so it made sense to send the mares to them. Besides Little Avondale and Lib Petagna’s JML Bloodstock are my partners in some of my mares including Vedodara’s daughters Sharvastri and Kumari. We have a Sharvastri colt by Snitzel going to the Sydney Easter sales in April.”

Barlow has around half a dozen mares, a number of racing age stock, and a handful of yearlings to sell. He also has shares in Savabeel(AUS), Tivaci(AUS), Alamosa and Road To Rock(AUS), so despite no longer being hands on is still very much entrenched in the game and looking forward to some exciting results over the next few months. - Michelle Saba